The unemployment rate for Anson County continues to decrease, down to 6.1 percent for March 2015, according to a report released Wednesday by the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Labor and Economic Analysis Division.

That’s 1.4 percent lower than the March 2014 rate of 7.5 percent, and inching closer to the statewide rate of 5.4 percent. That also puts Anson County in the majority of counties, with an unemployment rate between 5-10 percent.

The March 2015 rate of 6.1 percent computes to 669 of the county’s 11,027-strong labor force receiving unemployment benefits during the month.

Most of North Carolina’s 100 counties saw a decrease in unemployment during March. A total of 97 counties had lower unemployment rates, including all of Anson’s neighboring counties. Richmond’s rate of 7.7 percent was down 0.2 percent from the previous month, while Stanly and Union counties both saw their unemployment rates dip by 0.1 percent, to 5.1 and 4.5, respectively.

The highest unemployment rate in the state could be found in Graham County, at 13.9 percent, while Orange County had the lowest, 4.1 percent.

The next unemployment report is expected on May 27, when the statewide rate for April 2015 will be released.